Thanks to continued development of technology and manufacturing methods, engineered hardwood offers a variety of new styles and improved performance.

Engineered hardwood can often be mistaken as inferior to solid wood flooring. However, consumers eager for the natural beauty of wood but worried about dents, water and other results of daily life can find a solution in engineered wood.

It is important to understand how the product performs. People’s biggest dissatisfaction with engineered wood is they don’t understand the product, and then it doesn’t meet their expectations of durability. It can go anywhere as long as you treat it the right way and have the right expectations.

Enhanced Stability

Engineered hardwood, crafted from a top layer of real wood adhered to a layered core, can enhance hardwood’s performance. Today’s engineered hardwood features a layered construction that improves stability and helps the floor better withstand whatever life throws its way, like temperature changes, moisture and wear.

Dimensional stability, or how well a material can retain its dimensions when exposed to factors like temperature, moisture, pressure, etc., is critical to flooring that might encounter temperature swings, heavy traffic, moisture and more.

A key advancement in engineered hardwood is a multi-ply engineered core construction, which increases its dimensional stability. Unlike traditional solid hardwood, engineered planks are built with a layered construction that resists expansion and contraction caused by humidity and temperature variations. This makes them ideal for today’s open-concept homes and installations across various levels of the home, offering both design flexibility and long-term performance.

Finishing Touches

There are other advancements as well. Enhanced surface technology has helped strengthen real wood against dents and wear. Aluminum oxide finishes provide stronger scratch resistance and easier cleaning, which matters for families with kids and pets. These polyurethane finishes also strengthen the surface to provide superior resistance to scratches, scuffs and everyday wear while preserving the authentic look and character of natural hardwood.

These advancements allow consumers to feel more confident placing hardwood flooring in locations such as kitchens, hallways and other nontraditional areas.

Location, Location

Engineered hardwood, while offering improved performance over solid hardwood, is still wood.

Engineered hardwood can go anywhere, but the most important thing is that it is managed with the correct expectations. If you have an active lifestyle, kids, pets, etc., you’ll need to have an expectation of how your floor is going to perform.

So while engineered hardwood can handle traffic, moisture and temperature better than solid wood, it still remains a wood product, and will need to be cared for as such.

What engineered hardwood offers consumers is pairing authentic wood with improved performance. These products appeal to consumers who want genuine hardwood throughout more areas of the home, with added confidence in moisture resistance, stability and everyday wear. Homeowners no longer have to choose between hardwood’s warmth, character and natural visuals or performance-driven design. Now, you can have both.

Come see us today to learn more about all the latest engineered hardwood options.